The Book of the Otter

T H E B O O K O F TH E OTTER A MANUA L F OR SP OR TSM E N A ND NA TURA L/STS R I C H A R D C L A PH A M A UTH OR OF O! -HU TI G O T H E L AK LA D F LL S F N N N E N E , ” R OUG H SH O O T I NG ET , C . With I llus tra tio n s fro m Ph o tog raphs by the A u tho r F e s a nd Al red Ta lor . L e f y AND A N INTROD UCTION BY L L H I I A T PS . W M M O . M H O O N , H G N M H EAT RAN TO , L I I T E D 6 F LEET LA E L E . N , O N DO N , C 4 PREFA CE - is o ular I N these days otter hunting a p p sport , and in consequence there are now many more packs o f t otterhounds han was formerly the case . Of all o f o ne beasts chase in this country, the otter is the for about which we know least , he is a great O f th e wanderer , a creature night , and therefore f di ficult to study systematically . o Of the many pe ple who follow hounds , com arative l o r p yfew understand the science Of hunting , the habits o fthe creature which forms their quarry . This is pro bably to some extent due to the fact that there are very few books dealing exclusively o f with the otter and his hunting . A knowledge the science o fhunting and the habits o fthe quarry can be picked up by those who have leisure to are study the subject afield , but there others whose PRE FAC E o f s o opportunities doing are limited . It is , and therefore , in the hope Of interesting perhaps r i inst ucting the latter , that we have wr tten the following chapters . C P R . LA HAM . TROUTBEOK , RE W IN DERME . A ril 1 2 2 . p , 9 CONTENTS C HAP . PREFACE I N TRO DUCTI O N I . THE N A TURA L H I STO RY OF THE OTTER TH ’ I I . E OTTER S H A UNTS A ND I I I . OTTER PA ST A ND IV. U DS A ND TERRI ERS H O N . M v. RE I N IS CEN CES I N DE! LIST OF ILLUSTR ATIONS ’ OTTER B ASKING I N SHALLO W WAT E R F ron tisp z e ce To face pag e C V W E W 0 OTTER TRA KS LEA ING AT R , ALKING 4 FURRO W MAD E B Y OTTER IN D EEP SNOW 4 0 TUNNEL MAD E B Y OTTE R IN SNOW 5 3 E C W P OTT R TRA KS IN SNO , JUM ING 5 3 THE HUNTSMAN B RINGING HIS OTTER ASHOR E 7 9 . To THE VE K . AND D . O . H RETURNING MAIN RI R 79 . I o z A KILL WITH THE K AN D D . O H . HI W Y W Y ! , ORR , ORR ’ TE w . P A FAMOUS OT RHOUND , MR THOM SON S ” SNOW DRO P ’ P E SOM E OF MR W . THOM SON S ROUGH OTT R HOUN DS F F W AND D . H . V O TO K . O MO ING DRA GOING TO THE MEET B Y F ERR Y O N LAKE W IN DER M ER E I I INTRODUCTION B ECK O U SE H , L G I G G E SW I CK , F th 1 2 2 e b . 1 2 . , 9 MY AR L P M —I DE C A HA , am much flattered at your invitation to write an introduction to your ” Book of the Otter , and only wish I were a good enough hand with the pen to do your most interesting book the justice it deserves . If I were asked to find fault with your work I s a should y its only failing was its brevity . And I would ask fo r a few more hunts and to have them rather more elaborated . And if you could no t o r only expound to whips , either amateur o wn professional , how you do your work as such b ut mahe th em into whips as go o d as yo urs e lf the re b y yo u would take an enormous amount o f 1 3 T H E BOOK O F T H E OTT E R ’ worry and responsibility Off many a huntsman s shoulders . sa As you y in your letter to me , a book on such an interesting subject is sure to create a t o n friendly criticism , more par icularly such controversial subjects as early meets versus late ones and pure - bred otterhounds versus draft foxhounds . Admittedly yo u and I have always taken rather o n two so d opposite views these questions , espite the very fair pros and cons you give these respective arguments in your book , may I put in a further argument in each case o n behalf o f hounds ! Take early meets with a pack hunting three and four days a week . It is only possible to have e arly meets in the hottest part Of the ye ar— say middle of June to end o f August in o ur North Country , and a rather longer period with South and West Country packs . Say hounds meet at a m o n five . four days in the week . Hounds may have to take anything from o ne to two hours to 1 4 I N TROD U CT ION get from kennels to the meet . The men are in kennel at least an hour before the ‘ hunting pack o ut so turns , we know that hounds get no rest after that hour , which is probably shortly after m two a . Hounds would normally be back in kennel after a day o f this sort within an hour o r F o r o f o f . two midday the rest that day , apart from the disturb ance— to hounds— Of ordinary kennel routine , they are unable to get genuine ’ rest o n a hot summer s afternoon . The result is o r o f that after a fortnight , even a week such work — and I have many instances in my Old hunting r — dia ies Of both you get a jaded pack , a tired staff , and a weary Master . And I have been unfortunate enough myself to have never seen m . even a hunt before eight a . If anyone will guarantee to put hounds o n to the line Of a travelling do g otter o n a given day I would be there with hounds every time . But o u . otherwise , no thank y As to otterhounds versus foxhounds , I am i c d t a o r O conv n e h t finance , rather the lack f it , is 1 5 T H E BOOK O F T H E OTT E R the only reason why draft foxhounds are preferred ’ - i to otterhounds . Otter hunt ng is a poor man s W to sport , and few people realise hat it costs run to a pack and country . If you get a Master take a country he has very Often spent enough o ut o f his o wn pocket when he has paid the difference between the subscription list ! and the hunting b o unds o n expenses . And breeding a big scale adds enormously to expenses . The result is that in nine cases o ut of ten the pack is made up o f do - draft g foxhounds , and a very few rough coated otterhounds . A n attempt may be made to breed a litter o r two a ye ar from the rough otterhound o r six o bitches . Five puppies may be got ut to o r walk , and three four left in kennel . As many o f these as survive— possibly two and a half o r e — o n thre couple are brought the following season , and unle ss they are hopeless physical wrecks they are put into the pack to keep up the theory o f tte rh un d that they are a pack o o s . And good o r bad workers they are Often kept o n for this same purpose only . Under these circumstances , I 6 I N TRO D U CT I ON and they are far from uncommon , no wonder the average member o f an otter - hunting field prefers the foxhound . Any M . O . H . can get draft fox — hounds , and frequently get them as a gift hounds that have been the best Of fo x-hunters and fox ot to o o r an o f catchers , but have g slow for y a dozen other reasons are unable to run up to the o f pace a modern foxhound pack . These draft hounds know all about hunting , and only want entering to their new quarry to make most excellent otter-hunting hounds at a minimum Of expense and trouble . o n But if an M . O . H . breeds otterhounds the m sa e lines that foxhounds are bred , breeds by selection , breeds each year enough puppies to get a big enough young entry the following year big enough no t only to be able to put down immediately any physical crock that may come a m , but big enough to allow for dr fting a certain — o f number during and at the .

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